Recording power calibrating method for improving seeking stability on recording power calibration area

ABSTRACT

In an optimal recording power calibration method for improving seeking stability on a recording power calibration area, a specific area serves as a data recording area during an optimal recording power calibration, wherein a length of the specific area is such that a plurality of times of optimal recording power calibrations can be performed. The method includes: an optimal recording power calibration step of recording, with different recording power, a first length of calibration data in the specific area, and calibrating optimal recording power, wherein a data sector recorded in this step is defined as a calibration recording sector; and a data recording step of recording, with data recording power, a second length of information having a logical address beside the calibration recording sector of the specific area, wherein a data sector recorded in the step is defined as an information recording sector.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of co-pending application Ser. No.12/357,827 filed on Jan. 22, 2009, for which priority is claimed under35 USC § 120; and this application claims priority of Application No.097102439 filed in Taiwan R.O.C. on Jan. 23, 2008 under 35 USC 119, theentire content of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to an optimal recording power calibration methodfor improving seeking stability on a power calibration area, and moreparticularly to an optimal recording power calibration method forimproving seeking stability on the power calibration area according to ablanking area reserving step and/or a data recording step, which are/isnewly added.

2. Related Art

FIG. 1 shows a data distribution area of typical optical disk. Referringto FIG. 1, the optical disk includes a center hole, an unrecordablearea, a power calibration area (PCA), a programmable memory area (PMA),a lead-in area, a program area and a recordable user area. Thus, when anoptimal recording power calibration step is being performed, the powercalibration area serves as a test recording area. The optimal recordingpower calibration step pertains to the prior art, so detaileddescriptions will be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration showing the distribution of test datarecorded onto the power calibration area PCA according a conventionaloptimal recording power calibration method. As shown in FIG. 2, noreserved blanking area or optimal (or preferred) power area existsbetween the OPC test recording area A and the OPC test recording area Badjacent thereto. Thus, the conventional optimal recording powercalibration method has the following drawbacks.

First, most of the recording power used in the power calibration area isnot the optimal recording power, so its logical address (or referred toas a RF ID) cannot be easily decoded.

Second, the physical addresses (or referred to as wobble IDs) of somedisks cannot be decoded easily after the disks are recorded.

Because the first and second factors cause the poor seeking stability ofthe optical storage device on the power calibration area from theoptical storage disk, a longer seeking time is needed or even theseeking fails.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an optimalrecording power calibration method for improving seeking stability on apower calibration area, wherein a blanking area reserving step, and/or adata recording step are/is added to effectively enhance the seekingstability, particularly the seeking performance of the power calibrationarea.

The invention achieves the above-identified object by providing anoptimal recording power calibration method for improving seekingstability on a power calibration area. In the optimal recording powercalibration method, a specific area serves as a data recording areaduring the recording power calibration, and a length of the specificarea is such that a plurality of times of optimal recording powercalibrations can be performed. The method includes: an optimal recordingpower calibration step for recording, with different recording power, afirst length of calibration data in the specific area, and calibratingthe optimal recording power, wherein a data sector recorded in this stepis defined as a calibration recording sector; and a data recording stepfor recording, with data recording power, a second length of informationhaving a logical address beside the calibration recording sector of thespecific area. A data sector recorded in this step is defined as aninformation recording sector such that the seeking stability in thespecific area is enhanced according to a property that the informationrecording sector has a logical address when a next power calibration isperformed.

A blanking area is reserved between the calibration recording sector inthe optimal recording power calibration step and the informationrecording sector in a previous optimal recording power calibration suchthat the seeking stability on the specific area is enhanced according toa physical address of the blanking area when the next power calibrationis performed.

Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawingswhich are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitativeof the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a data distribution area of a typical optical disk.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration showing the distribution of test datarecorded onto a power calibration area PCA according a conventionaloptimal recording power calibration method.

FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration showing the distributions of thetest data, recorded onto the power calibration area PCA, and thenormally recorded data in an optimal recording power calibration methodfor improving seeking stability on the power calibration area accordingto a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3B is a flow chart showing the first embodiment.

FIG. 4A is a schematic illustration showing the distributions of thetest data, recorded onto the power calibration area PCA, and thereserved blanking area in the optimal recording power calibration methodfor improving seeking stability on the power calibration area accordingto a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4B is a flow chart showing the second embodiment.

FIG. 5A is a schematic illustration showing the distributions of thetest data, recorded onto the power calibration area PCA, the normallyrecorded data and the reserved blanking area in the optimal recordingpower calibration method for improving seeking stability on the powercalibration area according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5B is a flow chart showing the third embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein the same references relate to the same elements.

The optimal recording power calibration method for improving the seekingstability on the power calibration area will be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration showing the distributions of thetest data, recorded onto the power calibration area PCA, and thenormally recorded data in an optimal recording power calibration methodfor improving seeking stability on the power calibration area accordingto a first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3B is a flow chart showingthe first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3A, a calibration recordingsector A and an information recording sector A are sectors recordedduring the first recording power calibration, and a calibrationrecording sector B and an information recording sector B are sectorsrecorded during the second recording power calibration.

The implemented steps of FIG. 3A will be described with reference toFIG. 3B. The optimal recording power calibration method for improvingthe seeking stability on the power calibration area according to thefirst embodiment of the invention will be described in the following.First, an optimal recording power calibration step is performed torecord a first length of test data in the power calibration area PCA(S304), such as the calibration recording sector A or the calibrationrecording sector B in FIG. 3A. Then, a second length of informationcontaining a logical address is recorded, with data recording power,onto the power calibration area PCA (S306), such as the informationrecording sector A or the information recording sector B in FIG. 3A. Thepower calibration area PCA may also be a reserved area of the opticaldisk. The data recording power may be optimal recording power obtainedin the optimal recording power calibration step (S304), and may berecording power (the logical address thereof may be obtained bydecoding) capable of ensuring the writing quality, or recording powerdetermined in advance. Thus, the information containing the logicaladdress is recorded, with the data recording power, onto the informationrecording sector A or the information recording sector B, and it ispossible to ensure that the correct logical address can be utilized whenthe seeking is performed in the power calibration area. So, it ispossible to prevent the problem that the logical address cannot beeasily decoded because most of the recording power for the powercalibration area PCA is not the optimal recording power. The secondlength may be the shortest logic length for decoding the logicaladdresses of various optical storage disks. The so-called optimalrecording power calibration step is to record, with different recordingpower, a first length of calibration data in the power calibration areaPCA and to calibrate best power.

FIG. 4A is a schematic illustration showing the distributions of thetest data, recorded onto the power calibration area PCA, and thereserved blanking area in the optimal recording power calibration methodfor improving seeking stability on the power calibration area accordingto a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4B is a flow chart showingthe second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4A, the calibration recordingsector A is the sector recorded during the first recording powercalibration, the calibration recording sector B is the sector recordedduring the second recording power calibration, and the blanking sector Ais a blanking area reserved in the calibration recording sector B duringthe second recording power calibration and calibration recording sectorA during the first (previous) recording power calibration.

The implemented steps of FIG. 4A will be described with reference toFIG. 4B. The optimal recording power calibration method for improvingthe seeking stability on the power calibration area according to thesecond embodiment of the invention will be described in the following.First, an area with a suitable length (e.g., a third length) is reservedbeside the previous calibration recording sector of the powercalibration area PCA before the optimal recording power calibration stepis implemented, and no recording operation is performed in the area(S404). Next, the optimal recording power calibration step is performedto record a first length of test data onto the power calibration areaPCA (S406). That is, a blanking area, onto which recording is notimplemented, is reserved between two adjacent calibration recordingsectors A and B. Thus, the wobble signal generated by the blankingsector can ensure that the correct physical address may be utilized whenthe power calibration area is subsequently sought. So, it is possible toavoid the problem that the wobble signal on the disk is damaged and thatthe physical address cannot be easily decoded, wherein the problem iscaused because most of the recording power in the power calibration areaof the disk is not the optimal recording power. The so-called thirdlength may be a shortest physical length required for decoding physicaladdresses of various optical storage disks.

FIG. 5A is a schematic illustration showing the distributions of thetest data, recorded onto the power calibration area PCA, the normallyrecorded data and the reserved blanking area in the optimal recordingpower calibration method for improving seeking stability on the powercalibration area according to a third embodiment of the invention. Asshown in FIG. 5A, the calibration recording sector A and the informationrecording sector A are sectors recorded during the first recording powercalibration, the calibration recording sector B and the informationrecording sector B are sectors recorded during the second recordingpower calibration, and the blanking sector A is the blanking areareserved in the calibration recording sector B during the secondrecording power calibration and calibration recording sector A duringthe first (previous) recording power calibration.

The implemented steps of FIG. 5A will be described with reference toFIG. 5B. The optimal recording power calibration method for improvingthe seeking stability on the power calibration area according to thethird embodiment of the invention will be described in the following.First, before the optimal recording power calibration step isimplemented, an area with a suitable length (e.g., a blanking area Awith a third length) is reserved beside the previous calibrationrecording sector of the power calibration area PCA, and no recordingoperation is performed in this area (S504). Next, the optimal recordingpower calibration step is performed to record a first length of testdata onto the power calibration area PCA (S505), such as the calibrationrecording sector A or the calibration recording sector B in FIG. 5A.Finally, a second length of information with a logical address isrecorded, with data recording power, onto the power calibration area PCA(S506), such as the information recording sector A and the informationrecording sector B in FIG. 5A. Because the information containing thelogical address is recorded, with the data recording power, on theinformation recording sector A and the information recording sector B,it is possible to ensure that the correct physical address may beutilized when the power calibration area is subsequently sought.Furthermore, the wobble signal generated by the blanking sector A canensure that the correct physical address may be utilized. So, it ispossible to avoid the problem that the logical addresses and thephysical addresses of the disks cannot be easily decoded after the disksare recorded. The so-called second length may be a shortest physicallength required for decoding logical addresses of various opticalstorage disks. The so-called third length may be a shortest physicallength required for decoding physical addresses of various opticalstorage disks.

Thus, the optimal recording power calibration method for the inventioncan effectively improve the seeking stability, especially the seekingperformance, on the power calibration area according to the blankingarea reserving step and/or the data recording step, which are/is newlyadded.

While the invention has been described by way of examples and in termsof preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover variousmodifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should beaccorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all suchmodifications.

1. A recording power calibration method, for improving seeking stabilityon a power calibration area, the method being for performing an optimalrecording power calibration once when an optical disk is placed into anoptical drive, and thus obtaining optimal recording power, wherein aspecific area serving as a data recording area during the optimalrecording power calibration, and a length of the specific area beingsuch that a plurality of times of optimal recording power calibrationscan be performed, the method comprising: an optimal recording powercalibration step, for recording, with different recording power, a firstlength of calibration data in the specific area, and calibrating theoptimal recording power, wherein a data sector recorded in this step isdefined as a calibration recording sector, wherein a blanking area isreserved between the calibration recording sector corresponding to theoptimal recording power calibration step and the calibration recordingsector corresponding to the optimal recording power calibration stepprevious such that the seeking stability on the specific area isenhanced according to physical address of the blanking area when a nextpower calibration is performed.
 2. The method according to claim 1,wherein the specific area is a power calibration area of the opticaldisk.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specific area is areserved area of the optical disk.
 4. The method according to claim 1,wherein the first length is greater than the data sector.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising: a data recording step, forrecording an information recording sector with data recording power fora second length of information having a logical address beside thecalibration recording sector of the specific area, such that the seekingstability in the specific area is enhanced according to logical addressof the information recording sector when a next power calibration isperformed, wherein the blanking area is reserved between the calibrationrecording sector corresponding to the optimal recording powercalibration step and the information recording sector in the optimalrecording power calibration step previous such that the seekingstability on the specific area is enhanced according to physical addressof the blanking area when the next power calibration is performed.